Double-reach attachment for lifting and swinging work-transfer device

ABSTRACT

A mounting body containing a socket adapted to be mounted upon the upper end of the vertically-movable and horizontallyrotatable support shaft of a work-transfer device also contains a transverse bore in which is fixedly mounted a horizontal guide sleeve upon the opposite ends of which are mounted parallel supporting brackets for an upper fluid pressure first-reach reciprocatory motor containing a first-reach reciprocable piston with a forwardly-extending upper piston rod. Slidably mounted within the guide sleeve is a tubular outer shaft near the forward end of which is mounted an upwardly-extending cross head connected to the forward end of the upper piston rod. Slidably mounted within the longitudinal bore of the tubular outer shaft is an inner longitudinally-slotted inner shaft to the rearward end of which is connected the piston rod of a lower fluid pressure second-reach reciprocatory motor mounted on the rearward end of the tubular outer shaft for travel horizontally therewith. The tubular outer shaft near its forward end is provided with a cross-pin with the opposite ends seated therein and with its intermediate portion passing through the longitudinal slot in the inner shaft. Mounted on the forward end of the inner shaft is a head containing a vertical bore in which is freely slidably mounted a workpiece gripper including a vertical rod having a knob on its upper end and a frictional workpiece-grasping pad on its lower end. Also mounted on the head parallel to and below the outer and inner piston rods is a fluid pressure reciprocatory braking motor containing a braking piston, the piston rod of which carries a brake shoe selectively movable into and out of braking engagement with the vertical rod.

United States Patent 1 Potter DOUBLE-REACH ATTACHMENT FOR LIFTING AND SWINGING WORK-TRANSFER DEVICE [75] Inventor: Ronald D."Potter, Waterford, Mich. [73] Assignee: Auto-Place, 1nc., Troy, Mich.

[22] Filed: Aug. 28, 1972 [21] Appl. No.: 284,447

[52] US. Cl. 214/1 BB [51] Int. Cl. B66c 1/44 [58] Field of Search... 214/1 BB, 1 BC, 1 BD, 1 BS,

214/1 BT, 1 BH, 1 EV [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,007,097 10/1961 Shelley 214/1 BC 3,648,854 3/1972 Potter 214/1 BB Primary ExaminerAlbert J. Makay Assistant Examiner-George F. Abraham [57] ABSTRACT A mounting body containing a socket adapted to be mounted upon the upper end of the vertically-movable and horizontally-rotatable support shaft of a worktransfer device also contains a transverse bore in which is fixedly mounted a horizontal guide sleeve upon the opposite ends of which are mounted parallel 11 3,812,981 1451 May as, new

supporting brackets for an upper fluid pressure firstreach reciprocatory motor containing a first-reach reciprocable piston with a forwardly-extending upper piston rod. Slidably mounted within the guide sleeve is a tubular outer shaft near the forward end of which is mounted an upwardly-extending cross head connected to the forward end of the upper piston rod.

Slidably mounted within the longitudinal bore of the tubular outer shaft is an inner longitudinally-slotted inner shaft to the rearward end of which is connected the piston rod of a lower fluid pressure second-reach reciprocatory motor mounted on the rearward end of the tubular outer shaft for travel horizontally therewith. The tubular outer shaft near its forward end is provided with a cross-pin with the opposite ends seated therein and with its intermediate portion passing through the longitudinal slot in the inner shaft. Mounted on the forward end of the inner shaft is a head containing a vertical bore in which is freely Slidably mounted a workpiece gripper including a vertical rod having a knob on its upper end and a frictional workpiece-grasping pad on its lower end. Also mounted on the head parallel to and below the outer and inner piston rods is a fluid pressure reciprocatory braking motor containing a braking piston, the piston rod of which carries a brake shoe selectively movable into and out of braking engagement with the vertical rod.

7 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures DOUBLE-REACH ATTACHMENT FOR LIFHNG AND SWlNGlNG WORK-TRANSFER DEVECE SUMMARY OF THE iNvENTioN The invention resides in the provision of the outer and inner shafts operated by independent fluid pressure reciprocatory motors containing pistons to move 'the shafts and head sequentially in a doubly-extended path, whereby to similarly move the gripping pad for inserting, processing and ejecting a workpiece grasped by the gripping pad and moved thereby across a smooth minimum-friction table into and out of the processing zone of the machine, such as, for example, a sewing machine. Meanwhile, the release of the brake shoe by the braking motor enables the operator to rotate the vertical shaft by the knob thereon so that the workpiece material can be manipulated to move it through the desired path. Before and after the workpiece-processing step of the operation, the application of the brake shoe to the rod prevents such rotation during feeding in and ejecting the workpiece from the served machine.

In the drawing,

FIG. 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, of a double-reach attachment for a lifting and swinging work transfer device, according to one form of the invention, with the outer shaft in its extended position and the inner shaft in its retracted position, during the processing of the workpiece moved thereby;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary top plan view, partly in section, of the forward portion of the attachment, taken along the line 2-2 in FIG. 1; and

HO. 3 is a longitudinal section, partly in top plan view, taken along the line 3-3 in H6. 1.

Referring to the drawings in detail, FIGS. 1 to 3 inclusive show a double-reach attachment, generally designated 10, adapted to be mounted upon a support consisting of the vertically-movable and rotatable shaft 12 of a workpiece transfer device 14. A suitable workpiece transfer device 14 is disclosed and claimed in the Kirsch and Robb US. Pat. No. 3,406,837 issued Oct. 22, 1968, for Lifting and Swinging Work Transfer Device, and its details are beyond the scope of the present invention. The shaft 12, for example, may consist of the transversely-drilled upper end 65 of the square piston rod 62" referred to in that patent.

The upper end of the shaft 12 is seated in a socket 16 in the bottom of the mounting body 18 of a mounting structure, generally designated 20. The mounting body 18 is drilled transversely at 22 in alignment with a diametral hole 24 in the shaft 12 to receive a drive pin 26 drivingly connecting the mounting body 18 to the shaft 12. The lower portion of the mounting body 18 is split radially at 28 as far inward as the socket 16, and is also drilled and threaded tangentially to receive a lower clamping screw 30 by which the mounting body 18 is tightly but removably secured to the shaft 12. The upper portion of the mounting body 18 is split longitudinally and diametrally downward as far as the lower end of a transverse bore 32 and is also drilled and threaded transversely near its upper end to receive an upper clamping screw 34.

The mounting structure 20 also includes a guide sleeve 36 which is tightly but adjustably secured in the bore 32 by the upper clamping screw 34. The guide sleeve 36 is counterbored at its opposite ends to receive guide bearing bushings 35 containing coaxial guide bores 37, only one being shown in FIG- ll. Mounted on the opposite ends of the guide sleeve 36 are forward and rearward upstanding brackets 38 and 4t) respectively. The forward bracket 38 is bored near its lower end to receive the forward end of the guide sleeve 36 to which it is fixedly secured, as by welding at 42. The rearward bracket 44), on the other hand, is similarly bored near its lower end, but is adjustably and removably secured to the rearward end of the guide sleeve 36 by a tangential clamping screw 44 secured to and passing through the radially-split lower end 46 of the rearward bracket 40.

The forward and rearward brackets 38 and 40 are bored upon a coaxial axis parallel to the bores in the lower ends thereof to receive and firmly hold the cylinder 48 of an upper or first reach reciprocatory doubleacting fluid pressure motor 50 having a cylinder head 52 on the forward end ofa cylinder 54. The cylinder 54 contains a reciprocatory piston 56 having a piston head 58 connected to the rearward end of a piston rod 60. The forward and rearward ends of the cylinder 48 are provided with ports (not shown) to which are connected forward and rearward fluid service pipes or hoses 62 and 64 respectively. The forward end of the piston rod 60 is provided with a reduced diameter portion 62 passing through a bore 64 of similar diameter in the upper end of a cross head 66 and is threaded at its forward end to receive a lock nut 68 and lock washer 70. The lower end of the cross head 66 is bored at 72 to receive the forwardend portion of an outer tubular shaft 74 and its lower end is split radially and drilled and threaded tangentially to receive a clamping screw 76 by which it is adjustably but tightly secured to the forward portion of said hollow outer shaft '74.

Fixedly mounted on the tubular outer shaft 74 rearwardly of the cross head 66 is an annular forward stop 78 to which is secured an annular cushion 80 of elastomeric material. Rearwardly of the cushioning ring 80 the tubular outer shaft 74 is drilled diametrally to receive a cross pin 82 which, intermediate its opposite ends, passes through an elongated longitudinal slot 84 in an inner shaft 86, the forward end of which is slidably mounted in a sleeve bearing 88 mounted in the counterbored forward end of the tubular outer shaft 74. Abutting the forward end of the tubular outer shaft 74 is an annular stop 90 bored to receive the forward end portion of the inner shaft 86 and split radially on its lower side to receive a clamping screw 92 which secures it in a fixed position on the inner shaft 86. The forward end of the inner shaft 86 is threaded to enter a correspondingly threaded bore 94 in a head 96 in the form of a rectangular block. A jam nut 98 and lock washer 100 serve to lock the forward end of the inner shaft 86 in the bore 94 and against the rearward side of theblock 96.

' The block 96 near its forward end is provided with a vertical bore W2 (FIG. 1) which is counterbored at its opposite end to receive sleeve bearings 10.4 in which a vertical rod 106 with an enlarged upper end or knob 108 is slidably mounted. The threaded lower end portion 110 of the rod 106 is of reduced diameter and passes through a hole 112 in a disc 1 .14 of steel or other suitable material which is held in place by a nut 116 and lock washer 118. The disc 114 is drilled at circumferentially-spaced locations for the passage of the shanks of headed screws 120, the lower ends of which are threaded into correspondingly-located and threaded holes 122in an annular attachment member 124. Secured in any suitable way, such as by an adhesive, to the lower side of the attachment member 124 is a workpiece-grasping pad 126 of rubber, urethane plastic or other suitable material for frictional engagement with a workpiece W. The rod 106, disc 114, annular member 124 and pad 126 collectively constitute a workpiece gripper, generally designated 125.

The head 96 (FIGS. 1 and 3) near its lower end is provided with a partly-threaded bore 128 and in which is mounted the correspondingly threaded head 130 of the cylinder 132 of a pneumatic reciprocatory braking motor 134 of a braking device, generally designated 136. Reciprocably mounted within the cylinder 132 is a piston head (not shown) having a piston rod 138 threaded into a correspondingly bored and threaded brake block 140 and held in place by a lock nut 142. Secured as by an adhesive to the forward end of the brake block 140 is a brake pad 144 engageable with the rearward side of the rod 106 and having a concave front surface shapedto'fit thereagainst. The cylinder 136 and its cylinder head 132 are provided with ports (not shown) to which are connected service pipes 148 and 146 respectively.

The inner shaft 86 (FIG. 1) is bored and threaded at its rearward end to receive the correspondinglythreaded end 150 of the piston rod 152 of a lower or 1 second reach reciprocatory pressure fluid motor 154. Connected to the piston rod 152 is a piston head 156 which is reciprocable in the cylinder 158. The forwardend of the cylinder 158 is closed by a cylinder head 160 and it and the rearward end of the cylinder 158 are provided with ports (not shown) connected to service pipes 164 and 162 respectively. The cylinder head 160 of the cylinder 158 has a threaded nose portion 166 which is threaded into the correspondingly threaded counterbore 168 of the tubular shaft 74 at the rearward end thereof. A jam nut 170 on the end portion 150 of the piston rod 152 locks the latter to the inner shaft 86 whereas a lock washer 172 prevents loosening of the nose 166 in the threaded bore 168. Mounted on the rearward end of the outer shaft 74 is an annular rearward stop 174 to which is secured an annular cushion 176 similar to the cushion 80.

In the operation of the invention, let it be assumed that the lifting and swinging work transfer device 14, with the double reach attachment 10 mounted thereon, has been secured in a suitable position adjacent a table 178 of steel or other suitable friction-reducing material having a smooth upper surface 180 upon which a workpiece W is placed and adapted to be moved by the fric tional pad 126 into and out of a served machine (not shown). The workpiece W in one such installation consisted of superimposed pieces of cloth which were moved into and out of the zone of operation of a sewing machine which stitched them together to form a bag. Let it be assumed that the double reach attachment 10 is in the position shown in FIG. 1 with the piston rod 60 of the upper reciprocatory motor 50 extended so as to extend the tubular outer shaft 74 to its farthest forward position but with a standing pressure of fluid temporarily in the forward end of the cylinder 158 to temporarily hold the piston rod 150 of the lower reciprocatory motor 154 and the inner shaft 86 retracted to their rearmost positions. At this stage of the operation the workpiece W is in a location where it is adapted to be worked on by the served machine, assumed to be to the right of the pad [26.

Pressure fluid, such as compressed air, is now admitted to the service pipe 146, thereby moving the piston rod 138 to the left and thus retracting the brake pad 144 from engagement with the rod 106. The operator is then able to rotate the rod 106 by its knob 108 so as to bring marginal portions of the workpiece W into successive engagement with the processing machine, such as a sewing machine. When the processing of the workpiece W has been completed, the operator admits pressure fluid to the service pipe 146 and discharges it from the service pipe 148 to move the brake piston rod 138 and brake pad 144 forward, at the same time applying the braking the rod 106 so as to prevent it either from rotating or from rising and falling.

Pressure fluid is now admitted into the rearward service pipe 162 of the cylinder 158 of the lower reciprocatory motor 154 and discharged from the forward ser vice pipe 164 thereof, thereby causing the piston head 156', piston rod and inner shaft 86 to move forward to the right (FIG. 1) until the rearward end of the slot 84 engages the cross pin 82 and halts. This action moves the head 96, rod 106, pad 126 and workpiece W forward to the right, out of the zone of operation of the served machine, whereupon the work transfer device 14 rotates the shaft 12 thereof and swings the entire double reach attachment pin horizontally so as to slide the workpiece W off the top surface of the table 178 into a suitable receptacle or onto a conveyor (not shown) for transfer to another processing or packing location. I

Pressure fluid is then admitted to the forward service pipes 62 and 164 of the cylinders'48 and 158 of the upper and lower reciprocatory motors 50 and 154, thereby retracting their respective piston rods 60 and 150, and consequently retracting the outer and inner shafts 74 and 86 to their rearmost positions, carrying with them the head 96, rod 106 and workpiece transfer pad 126. Another workpiece W is then placed beneath the pad 126 on the top surface 180 of the table 178, the braking motor 134 is operated to lock the rod 106, and pressure fluid is admitted to the rearward service pipe 64 of the upper cylinder 54 and discharged from the forward service pipe 62 thereof to cause the piston rod 60 to move the cross head 66 and the outer tubular shaft 74 forward to the right (1 16. 1). This action slides the workpiece W along the top surface 180 of the table 178, thereby bringing the workpiece W into the zone of operation of the served machine (not shown) whereupon the above-described operations are repeated.

it will be understood that the double-reach attachment 10 and the work transfer device 14 are arranged and interconnected in a suitable pneumatic circuit containing reversing valves which regulate the flow of pressure fluid, preferably pneumatic pressure fluid, from a fluid pressure source to the cylinders 54, 158 and 136 are according to arrangements known to those skilled in the pneumatic art and such circuitry is beyond the scope of the present invention.

1 claim:

1. A double-reach attachment for a verticallymovable rotatable support, said attachment comprising an upstanding mounting structure adapted to be mounted on said support for motion therewith and having a horizontal guideway therein,

a first-reach reciprocatory motor mounted on said mounting structure and having a first-reach horizontally-reciprocable piston therein,

an elongated hollow outer shaft slidably mounted in said guideway and operatively connected to said first-reach piston,

an elongated inner shaft slidably mounted within said hollow outer shaft,

a second-reach reciprocatory motor mounted on said outer shaft for travel therewith and having a second-reach reciprocable piston operatively connected to said inner shaft,

a head attached to said inner shaft,

and a workpiece gripper operatively connected to said inner shaft for travel forwardly and rearwardly therewith, said workpiece gripper including an elongated member slidably mounted in said head transversely to said inner shaft and also including a workpiece-grasping device mounted on said elongated member.

2. A double-reach attachment, according to claim 1, wherein said elongated member is also rotatably mounted in said head.

3. A double-reach attachment, according to claim 1, wherein said workpiece-grasping device is mounted on said elongated member remote from said head.

4. A double-reach attachment, according to claim 3, wherein said workpiece-grasping device includes a carrier and a frictional workpiece-grasping element mounted on said carrier.

5. A double-reach attachment, according to claim 1, wherein a braking device is mounted on said head and is selectively movable into and out of braking engagement with said elongated member.

6. A double-reach attachment, according to claim 5, wherein said braking device includes a brake element movable into and out of braking engagement with said elongated member and wherein a reciprocatory braking motor is mounted on said head and has a reciprocable braking piston operatively connected to said brake element.

7. A double-reach attachment for a verticallymovable rotatable support, said attachment comprising an upstanding mounting structure adapted to be mounted on said support for motion therewith and having a horizontal guideway therein,

a first-reach reciprocatory motor mounted on said mounting structure and having a first-reach cond-reach reciprocable piston operatively con-.

nected to said inner shaft,

and a workpiece gripper operatively connected tosaid inner shaft for travel forwardly and rearwardly therewith,

said inner shaft having an elongated longitudinal slot therein and said hollow outer shaft having a cross member therein extending transversely through said hollow outer shaft and said slot. 

1. A double-reach attachment for a vertically-movable rotatable support, said attachment comprising an upstanding mounting structure adapted to be mounted on said support for motion therewith and having a horizontal guideway therein, a first-reach reciprocatory motor mounted on said mounting structure and having a first-reach horizontally-reciprocable piston therein, an elongated hollOw outer shaft slidably mounted in said guideway and operatively connected to said first-reach piston, an elongated inner shaft slidably mounted within said hollow outer shaft, a second-reach reciprocatory motor mounted on said outer shaft for travel therewith and having a second-reach reciprocable piston operatively connected to said inner shaft, a head attached to said inner shaft, and a workpiece gripper operatively connected to said inner shaft for travel forwardly and rearwardly therewith, said workpiece gripper including an elongated member slidably mounted in said head transversely to said inner shaft and also including a workpiece-grasping device mounted on said elongated member.
 2. A double-reach attachment, according to claim 1, wherein said elongated member is also rotatably mounted in said head.
 3. A double-reach attachment, according to claim 1, wherein said workpiece-grasping device is mounted on said elongated member remote from said head.
 4. A double-reach attachment, according to claim 3, wherein said workpiece-grasping device includes a carrier and a frictional workpiece-grasping element mounted on said carrier.
 5. A double-reach attachment, according to claim 1, wherein a braking device is mounted on said head and is selectively movable into and out of braking engagement with said elongated member.
 6. A double-reach attachment, according to claim 5, wherein said braking device includes a brake element movable into and out of braking engagement with said elongated member and wherein a reciprocatory braking motor is mounted on said head and has a reciprocable braking piston operatively connected to said brake element.
 7. A double-reach attachment for a vertically-movable rotatable support, said attachment comprising an upstanding mounting structure adapted to be mounted on said support for motion therewith and having a horizontal guideway therein, a first-reach reciprocatory motor mounted on said mounting structure and having a first-reach horizontally-reciprocable piston therein, an elongated hollow outer shaft slidably mounted in said guideway and operatively connected to said first-reach piston, an elongated inner shaft slidably mounted within said hollow outer shaft, a second-reach reciprocatory motor mounted on said outer shaft for travel therewith and having a second-reach reciprocable piston operatively connected to said inner shaft, and a workpiece gripper operatively connected to said inner shaft for travel forwardly and rearwardly therewith, said inner shaft having an elongated longitudinal slot therein and said hollow outer shaft having a cross member therein extending transversely through said hollow outer shaft and said slot. 